Spotify poaches Google exec to launch its service in Russia

Music streaming service Spotify has reportedly hired former Google executive Alexander Kubaneishvili to lead its operations in Russia, reports Russian news publication Vedomosti.

Kubaneishvili spent the past few years working at Google’s office in Russia and specializes in advertising partnerships. That means he knows the area well and should be able to help Spotify launch its streaming music service within the country, which it’s expected to do in the near future.

Spotify is also rumored to be making plans for an initial public offering at the end of the year, but that isn’t stopping the company from continuing its international expansion. Spotify is already available in over 50 countries, including Eastern European markets like Poland, Bulgaria, Latvia, and others.

However, Spotify is clearly preparing to enter larger markets such as Russia, Brazil, and China, as today’s hire indicates. Russia, in particular, is an interesting region because of its history as a haven for music piracy. Spotify could see a lot of success there since, to date, there haven’t been many legal options for accessing free music.